


Two Steps Forward

by dlodle0



Series: All You Need is Faith, Trust and Coffee [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24861592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dlodle0/pseuds/dlodle0
Summary: If there was one thing he had learned in his life, it was that steps were never as hard when you had someone with you
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Series: All You Need is Faith, Trust and Coffee [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783498
Comments: 9
Kudos: 93





	Two Steps Forward

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Welcome to part two of my series. Before I start, I want to give a quick shoutout to coolbryne and jenni3penny. In one of their series, they mention that Jack likes to sleep in on Saturdays so I borrowed that from them. I really hope they don't mind.

Waking up next to Gibbs was one of those things in life that Jack was sure she would never completely get used to. Though she didn’t stay over every night due to being stuck in her lease, she had been staying over more and more. She had found that most mornings she stayed over, they woke around the same time, baring Saturdays on which Jack insisted on sleeping in.

But this morning he was still asleep, arm slung over her waist. She tried not to move too much as she shifted so she could see his face. He always looked so peaceful when he slept through the night. His phone rang and he jolted next to her, reaching for it before he was truly awake. “Gibbs.”

Though he was listening to whoever it was on the phone, his eyes wandered over to Jack and he greeted her with a familiar smile. It was always funny to her when she heard people say that he was unkind since he was always smiling at her. He leaned over to kiss her good morning and then pulled back to finish his conversation.

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah let them know, Bishop.” He hung up and all but threw his phone onto the nightstand as he leaned back into the bed.

“Is Ellie okay?” She propped herself up on one arm, grinning as he pulled her close again. 

“Yeah. She’s gonna be a little late today. Figure we all might as well get a late start.” He was already closing his eyes again and Jack gave him a slight shove.

“Come on, Cowboy, get up and I’ll make you breakfast.” She moved out of his arms and he cracked his eyes slightly so he could watch her walk away. “Hey! Eyes on the prize.” She said looking over her shoulder.

His eyes raised to her eyes and he smirked before answering. “Trust me. They are.”

XXXX

After breakfast and showering, they headed out. Despite his mild irritation at the thought of being separated, she insisted on him taking her back to her place. When he pulled up to her apartment building, she leaned over the center console to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Don’t understand why you can’t just stay with me.” He grumbled.

She gave a soft sigh and settled back in her seat to look over at him. “We’ve been over this, Cowboy. Leon pulled a lot of strings to help get me this place, it’d be rude to just leave. The lease ends in October. I have the option to resign in September.” Her voice took on a soft tone that soothed his unspoken worries. “Ask me then.” She kissed his cheek again. “Go. I’ll see you there.”

He counted the months forward in his mind. Three months seemed like a whole nother lifetime but before he had the chance to respond, Jack hopped out of the truck and disappeared into her house. He waited until he saw the living room light come on through her curtains before he pulled away. 

XXXXXX

It wasn’t long after he got to NCIS that he heard the elevator ding and the chatter of Jack and Ellie reached him. The laughter of his favorite blonde duo had his head raising and he wasn’t surprised to see Jack with a drink carrier.

“For you, Cowboy.” She offered him one of the cups. As he took it, he glanced around the bullpen to make sure no one but Ellie would see before leaning over to kiss Jack. 

“Thank you.” 

Ellie was speechless for a moment, blinking as though it would bring back the image she had just seen. Jack laughed at her reaction and bumped their shoulders. “Ellie, you okay?” She teased.

Ellie’s face broke into a wide grin as she grabbed her coffee out of the carrier and went over to her desk. “Everything is great. Uh you were saying before um… Faith is coming over for dinner tonight?”

“Yup.” It was Gibbs who answered her as the other men on the team arrived. “Still my place?” He asked Jack over the chorus of thank yous she received as she handed out the remaining coffees. 

“If you don’t mind.” She turned back to him and threw the carrier in his trash can. “If you do, we can go out. You don’t have to do this.” 

“Jack.” He cut her off as he looked up from the computer he had turned his attention to. “What time?”

He was granted a grateful smile along with her reply, “She should be there around six.” Jack leaned over to brush her lips over his cheek one last time. “Be safe.”

“Do my best.” As much as she wished he would say he always would be he couldn't make that promise but for now, that was enough and Jack headed upstairs.

XXXXXX 

The case the team caught that day was relatively simple and as McGee finished filling out the paperwork, Gibbs checked the time. It was around five so he stood. “Good work. Go home. Get some rest.”

As his team rounded the corner to head to the elevator he heard Torres, “That’s twice in the last few months he’s let us out early. Whatever Jack is doing, I hope she keeps doing it.”

Ellie scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Oh I doubt she’ll stop.” Her eyes twinkled and her smile told them she knew something they didn’t. Both McGee and Torres turned to her as they got into the elevator. 

“Speak!”

“What happened?”

XXXXX

He hadn’t been home long when he heard a car pull into the drive. Thinking it was Jack, who still wasn’t home yet, he watched from the living room window as Faith pulled up outside. She picked up her phone, typing for a minute or two before she looked up and caught his eyes. Her smile was so reminiscent of her mother’s that he couldn’t help but smile back.

Faith got out of her car and headed up to the door. Though he knew Jack and Faith had seen each other once or twice since the diner, this would be the first time he saw her again. The door was unlocked but Faith knocked, still slightly hesitant with him and he immediately called out. “It’s open.” 

She appeared a few seconds later, still smiling. “Hi. I hope it’s okay that I’m early.” She gave a small shrug, “I thought it was only fair since Jack is always early to meet me.” 

“It’s fine.” He headed toward the kitchen. “Get you something to drink? We’ve got coffee.” 

She laughed as she followed him through the house, making sure to get a good look at whatever she could. “Water is fine.” Her voice cut out as she saw two of the four ultrasound pictures she had given Jack on the refrigerator. She cleared her throat before speaking again. “You have a beautiful house. Have you lived here long?”

“Almost forty years.” 

“Alone?” 

He had known the question was coming and had braced for it. He poured her water and handed her the cup, biding his time. “Had a family once.” He could tell he had her attention and he sat down at the dining room table with a sigh. Might as well get it over with, he thought. “A wife and a daughter.” 

“What happened to them- You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Faith tried to backtrack when she saw his jaw clench at her question. “Really, I shouldn’t have-”

He kept his eyes on the dark coffee in his mug as he answered her, “They were killed. 30 years in February.” 

He just caught the tail end of the flash that went through her eyes and his eyes followed her hand to the barely noticeable swell of her stomach. “Agent Gibbs, I’m- I’m so sorry.” 

He waved her apology off as he got back to his feet. “You didn’t know.” Whatever else he had been going to say was lost under the sound of Jack coming through the front door. 

Her heels clicked in the foyer as she called out. “Jethro?” Jack came around the corner, checking her watch to make sure she wasn’t late and took in the scene before her. Faith’s hand was still pressed to her stomach, eyes wide looking at Gibbs as though she had just heard bad news. Gibbs was only a few steps from Jack and she could see the relief flowing through him as she entered the room. Her brow wrinkled as she looked between them again, “Everything okay in here?”

Faith cleared her throat, nodding. She took a sip of her water before standing up to greet Jack. “Hey.” 

Jack was still frowning as she gave Faith a hug, eyes locked onto Gibbs who had turned back to the stove. When Faith pulled back, Jack finally brought her eyes away from Gibbs to look at her daughter. It didn’t seem like she would give Jack any clue on what had happened before she walked in either. “How are you feeling?”

Faith sat back down with her own sigh. “Okay. The morning sickness is starting to wear off.”

“Oh that was the worst.” Jack rarely talked about her pregnancy so her comment caught Faith’s full attention. She could also tell that Gibbs had tuned into the conversation by the way his back straightened. “My morning sickness lasted almost all the way to twenty weeks with you. That’s where my love of lollipops comes from. My doctor had me suck on them to try and help.” Her smile grew a bit. “Now keeping them in my office has other uses but it’s a nice reminder too.”

Faith smiled and nodded at Jack’s purse. “I don’t suppose you have any with you?”

Her mother laughed and opened the purse, pulling out a plastic bag with one of each color lollipop inside. “Of course I do. I carry them with me in case we run into any kids while we are on a case.” She offered Faith the bag and watched as she thought for a moment before picking a yellow one.

“Thank you.” Faith opened it and popped it in her mouth. 

“Do you have new pictures, Faith?” 

Faith perked up, already reaching into her purse. “Yes! I had my twelve week ultrasound!” She pulled out the pictures as Gibbs turned from the stove to look. “They said everything looks good so far.” Her smile was radiant as she showed them. “They said it looks like I’ll be due around Valentine’s day!”

Jack leaned over Faith’s shoulder to get a better look. “Oh you can see their little hand!” She laughed and leaned her head on Faith’s arm for a moment. “A Valentine’s baby. That’s amazing.” Jack looked up to see Gibbs’s smile echoing her own and took a deep breath as things felt back to normal.

  
  


XXXXXX

When they had all finished their dinner, Gibbs got up to start on the dishes and Faith followed to help. Before she had gotten very far, Jack stopped her. “Where are you going?”

“I thought I would help. As a thank you.” 

“You don’t have to do that. You’re our guest. Besides” Jack paused, her eyes holding Faith’s with the most love Faith had ever seen. “I should be thanking you.” Her hand pressed against Faith’s cheek. “Thank you.”

Faith turned her face slightly into Jack’s hand with a gentle smile. An alarm on Faith’s phone broke them apart and she quickly turned it off. “Sorry. That’s my reminder to go home and change before my shift tonight.”

Jack nodded as they headed towards the door. Faith stopped suddenly and looked back over her shoulder. “Agent Gibbs?”

He twisted so he could see her and turned off the water. He crossed the room so he was standing in front of her. “Jethro. Only Agent Gibbs when I’m on the job.” His crooked smile told Faith she was making the right decision as she spoke again.

“Jethro, I’m glad to have you be a part of our family too.” She shared a knowing glance with Jack, who blushed and ducked her head slightly. 

Gibbs moved so his arm was wrapped around Jack’s waist, holding her close. “Me too.” He assured Faith. She gave them each a quick embrace and they watched from the window as she left.

Jack turned in his arms, her frown forming again. “All right. What were you talking about before I got here?” His blue eyes clouded with emotion and she knew almost instantly. “You told her about Shannon and Kelly.”

He gave a terse nod but didn’t move away from Jack. “If she’s going to be around, she should know.” 

Jack hummed slightly as she kissed his cheek to console him. “Proud of you, Cowboy. For letting her in. It’s a big step.”

His arm tightened around her as he whispered back. “Been a lot of those lately.” 

“You okay with that?” Her voice was cautious as she rested her head against his collarbone. 

If there was one thing he had learned in his life, it was that steps were never as hard when you had someone with you. “As long as they’re with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to y'all for reading and wannabebold for editing. Make sure to check out her ellick fic inspired by this one!
> 
> find me on tumblr: oneworthsaving

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Rebels](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24861520) by [WannaBeBold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaBeBold/pseuds/WannaBeBold)




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